Honestly, I didn't think it could get much worse, but part two was not nearly as fun as Part 1. To start with, it was almost an hour into the second part before there was more ground shaking. Not only that, but apparently they have super-sonic ways of traveling in this show because one moment they are in LA at the Disaster Center (which by the way doesn't make any sense since they KNOW the earthquakes are heading towards Southern California, why not relocate it to a place like Sacramento which seems to have escaped most of the damage, but I digress) and the next moment they are surveying damage in Redding, then a moment later they are back in LA.
Another problem? Lack of consistent damage. There were precious few scenes of the damage caused by the quakes, especially the 10.5 one. Heck, 1974's Earthquake showed more damage and it was most certainly a smaller quake. Instead, they decided to spend the money on the island-making crack - and even that was only a couple of glances here and there with some water effects from Pinnacle Studio thrown in for good measure. When LA gets slammed, all we see are A) Buildings in LA crumbling for a few brief shots, B) the Hollywood sign start tumbling down, and C) a hillside house crumble and burst into flames. The rest of the 10.5 is spent on watching the people at the refugee camps in Barstow roll around, get swallowed up by the earth, oh and yes let's not forget the slow-mo-opera-music-when-the-producers-think-we-are-tired-after-5-minutes-of-screaming-and-earthquake-noises sequence. Personally, after seeing the Golden Gate Bridge and the Space Needle collapse in part 1, I at least expected to see some freeway overpasses collapse. After all the stock footage of the '89 Loma Preita quake, I thought they would at least throw in a couple of Northridge. Maybe that's too close to home for the producers.
Oh and before I forget, I was glad to see Fred Ward as the FEMA director get taken out by a nuclear warhead. That was certainly one of the better Character Who Meets Untimely Death (tm). I was disappointed he got to talk to his son before it blew up. Most characters in this role aren't that lucky and it is always more emotionally powerful when they don't get that last phone call (just look at poor Rachel who had the argument with her hubby before taking a header at the SF City Hall). And what is up with the lack of a token exchange of sentimental item?
At any rate, Part two was a let down - even for the cheese fest that it was. I think Susie and I need to sit down and write our own disaster movie.
I haven't seen part 2 yet (on Tivo). But I have to say that I was completely enthralled by part 1. I fully expected the humpback whales to start singing and for everything to reform itself when Superman flies around the earth to reverse time.
I do have to say that I'm rather proud of myself. I checked that link to the usgs that you gave yesterday. I caught nearly half of the mistakes that they list on the site.
As far as disaster movie cliches... where was the token animal rescue? Is there one in part 2?
OK... so we have to get a top 10 disaster movie list going here.
Here's mine... not necessarily in order.
Earthquake
Towering Inferno
Posiden Adventure
Volcano
Deep Impact (though lower on the list)
Titanic (also lower on the list)
10.5
Dante's Peak
Airport 1975
Independence Day
There is a cool website at http://disasteronline.tripod.com/dmam.html dedicated to disaster flicks. Check it out.
Joe
Thought I would share this.
http://disasteronline.tripod.com/Articles/parody2.html
(The movie opens in a suburban home, where the heroine is having breakfast with her son.)
Heroine: Well, it's a peaceful day! No sign of any disasters!
Son: Mom, do you have a romance interest?
Heroine: No, Bobby, although I am a top scientist and very attractive.
(The phone rings.)
Heroine: Uh-oh! I hope that's not a worker from the lab, calling to tell me about an impending disaster!
Lab worker: Trish, a disaster is impending!
Heroine: I'll be right there! (To her son:) Bobby, you stay here and be vulnerable.
Son: Mom, will the disaster end up striking this exact house and placing me in grave danger?
Heroine: Of course!
(We see an exterior shot of the White House. Inside, the president, looking grim, is holding an emergency Cabinet meeting.)
President: Haven't I seen that exterior shot before?
Vice president: It's the same one they use in the Tom Clancy movies.
President: OK, somebody set up the plot.
Science adviser: Mr. President, unless something's done, a disaster is going to strike in 90 minutes, sending miniature cars flying in all directions.
President: Ninety minutes! Why so long?
Science adviser: We need to build up the suspense.
General: Sir, we must launch a nuclear strike against Houston!
President: Why?
General: I hate Houston.
President (to the Hero): Jake, you're incredibly good-looking. I want you to take your minority sidekick and get over tot the laboratory immediately and develop a romance interest with the heroine. If this movie is rated "R," she can show her breasts.
Hero: I'll do what I can, sir.
(The next scene is in the laboratory. The hero and heroine are staring intently at a computer screen.)
Heroine: ...and so by using the mouse pointer, you can drag the three of clubs over the four of diamonds.
(A lab worker rushes up.)
Lab worker: Trish, the pantograph is giving us a vector plasma reading in the cosine range!
Hero: What does that mean?
Heroine: Nothing. It's movie science gibberish. But it's time for the disaster! And my son is home alone!
(The scene shifts to the heroine's neighborhood. People are screaming; miniature cars are flying everywhere.)
Heroine: This is terrible! Thousands of people are being killed!
Hero: It's OK! They're extras!
Son: Help! Help!
Heroine: My God! It's Billy!
Son: No, it's Bobby!
Heroine: Oh, right.
Hero: I'll save him!
Heroine: Watch out for the special effects!
(The hero, dodging miniature flying cars, saves the son.)
Heroine: Now we can be a family unit!
Son: With Val Kilmer? I thought the hero was going to be Tom Cruise.
Hero: He wasn't available.
(The final scene takes place back at the White House, where everybody is relieved.)
President: Whew! Although we lost 124 million people, all the main characters survived except the minority sidekick!
(The Cabinet applauds.)
General: So now can we attack Houston?
President: OK by me.
Well I gotta say that I agree with Josh's assessment of Part II. And what is up with the lack of exchange of sentimental items?? (I had a moment's hope that John Scheider's annoying daughter would give him her asthma inhaler in her last dying gasps, but alas it was not to be.)
You go, Cooper, for being the geologic smartie today! I'm so proud!! :) Plus, I love the dialogue in your second comment!! I'm sure Josh and I can use it to our advantage when we do our own disaster flick. (Maybe we'll call it '10.5--The Coast is Toast'. Oh wait a minute...)
Perhaps we should call it 10.6 - Ours is Bigger!